


Jasmine's new pet

by vermicious_knid



Category: Aladdin (1992)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-07 05:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4251279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vermicious_knid/pseuds/vermicious_knid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What can make a lonely little princess happy again? (a raja origin story)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jasmine's new pet

 

 

There was a short period in young Jasmines life when she often seemed sad and withdrawn.

Her mother had passed the year before, and it had taken a hard toll on everyone in the palace as well as beyond the palace walls – the villagers had praised her kindness and frequent visits to the leper districts – despite the admonishings of the sultan, of course.

At a loss for what to do the sultan decided that perhaps he might make his daughter happy again by giving her some new toys. He arranged for the most skilled toymaker in the lands to send their very best dolls, puppets, stuffed animals and games for her to choose from.

The princess looked at the giant pile of admittedly beautifully crafted playthings – there were teddy bears with brown noses and the softest fur, building blocks painted with gold and encrusted with precious gems, dolls with real hair made to look like tiny versions of herself and toy trains that had the sultan squeal for joy as he examined them.

The princess looked at the pile and sighed. There was nothing there that she wanted.

Then she heard a soft cry. It almost sounded like a coo of a dove, but with a distinct twist that she did not recognize. Jasmine stepped around the pile. The sound came from the stuffed animals.

Or rather, from somewhere behind it.

She heard I again, distinctly muffled. Jasmine bent down and removed the toys to see what could be making such a strange almost baby like noise. At first she thought it was another stuffed animal, but to her amazement the tiny animal blinked its wide, yellow eyes at her and flicked its tail. No larger than a kitten, but with tell tale black stripes she knew exactly what it was.

“A tiger.” She exclaimed. She had seen one at the palace once, from a visiting circus. But this one was still just a baby. It looked scared and she felt very sorry for it.

“Come here. I’m not gonna hurt you.” She beckoned when it tried to retreat. She held out her tiny hand, palm up and waited patiently. The tiger looked from her face to her hand several times before it dared to take a few steps forward, sniffing hesitantly at her hand before giving it a friendly nudge.

The sultan, who up until then had been far too distracted by playing with the toy trains suddenly took note of what her daughter was doing – and what she had found. And it did not make him happy.

“Jasmine! A live tiger...how did it get here??”

“Must have been mistaken for one of these things.” She said, holding up a stuffed baby tiger.

“Well, however it got here doesn’t matter. It cannot stay!” the sultan said matter of fact, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jasmine instantly drew the baby tiger protectively close to her and looked at her father pleadingly.

“Father! It’s just a baby!”

“But it will grow my dear. And when it’s grown its much too dangerous for you to keep.”

The princess frowned up at her father, her eyes glowing with defiance. Oh, he knew that look very well. It was the same one her mother had used on more than one occasion through their marriage.

“No it won’t. She’ll be good.”

“Wha-I mean – she?!”

Jasmine nodded, smiling.

“It’s a girl you know.”

The sultan was about to make a reply when a familiar, gnarled hand landed on his shoulder.

“Oh – ah, Jafar!” the sultan exclaimed, looking up at the towering figure behind him. He cast a shadow that loomed across the marble floor, but his face showed no insidious agenda. In fact, he looked quite bored.  His intelligent eyes were looking at the little tiger.

“My liege. Might I say that, keeping the animal might turn out to be a wise decision.”

“Wise? How could that be?”

Jafar rolled his eyes at the older man. He really was too dense sometimes. He looked over at the princess thoughtfully before answering.

“Protection. Your daughter will never lack for a better personal guard. And it seems the little thing might make the girl happy. Why not indulge her?” he said, giving a little shrug that looked a little too casual. It was like his suggestion was so out of character for him that he had to play it off with indifference.

The sultan looked over at her daughter. She was holding the tiger close in her arms, and it was purring loudly. But what made him decide was the radiant smile on his daughters face.

He sighed tiredly.

“I hope by Allah that you are right.”


End file.
